Church Hunting: St. Benedict Church

A couple of months ago, while looking for churches near our place, I learned about St. Benedict Church. It became popular because it is where Shalani Soledad got married. I saw pics of the church on the net and I showed it to J and he instantly liked it.

So yesterday, after a couple of postponements, we went there to hear mass na din. It took us a little over 30 minutes drive from Biñan to reach the place. When we arrived there, I was literally feeling so-kilig! I don't know if that's what you call the "this is it" feeling but I feel like a teenager seeing her crush after vacation. Haha! Basta, iba yung feeling. Like I was seeing myself walking the premises in my wedding gown!

gentle reminder: picture overload :)

These are the exterior facade of the church in different angles

And one of the reasons why I had this feeling na "eto na talaga"? This.

Look at that outdoor aisle

And THE door

Why I fell in love with St. Benedict Church before even seeing the insides

The place is sooo peaceful. Reminds me of Pink Sisters in Tagaytay but a lot more serene. If you've been to Pink Sisters, that's the kind of vibe you'll get here. Mas reserve nga lang yung place as super konti lang ng tao and ng nadaan na sasakyan.

And now for the insides.

Very nice architecture

The ceiling

I appreciate the spacious chairs

Just OC. :) I so love the details on the chairs

And the altar shots

The church, inside and out, is simply stunning. No need for extra decorations. Because the facade itself would look good on your pictures na.

Here's their Wedding Brochure:

The Parish Office is located on the right side of the church beside the restrooms. We were entertained by Red and Ms. Baby. Now here's the catch: they said they are not sure if they can accommodate us for December 24. (heartbreaking) But still they log our names and said they will just inform us if Father Isagani will approved of it. So as of this moment that I'm composing this post, we are still waiting for the text regarding that.

To wrap up this post regarding St. Benedict Church, here's my summary:

PROS:

• Beautiful and stunning facade
• Serene and peaceful surrounding
• Still preserved unlike churches in Tagaytay where in IMHO are already common
• Have the option of the use of aircon during the ceremony
• Well-kept restrooms
• Ample parking space
• BPI bank nearby (across the street)
• Stores nearby (across the street) - still have to check if it's open already

CONS:

• Strict rules for the wedding ceremony
• Liturgical songs only for the ceremony (processional song included)
• No choir provision 
• Would be difficult to reach the place if you're not familiar in the area
• Difficult to go there via public transportation
• Sound system - I don't know if it can be adjusted pero sabog yung sounds and it's difficult to hear someone on the microphone (This is my main concern)

Amidst the cons, I still love St. Benedict Church and would still want to be married here.

Food Tasting #1: Quido's

I bumped into Quido's sa Girltalk. Upon checking their packages, I must say they are one of the cheapest. I search reviews about them and all are good naman. Plus factor is that their chairs are already tiffany at no ADDITIONAL cost (maximum of 150 pax). Eh non-negotiable ni J ang tiffany chairs. So I emailed Ms. Gina and scheduled a food tasting.

It happened yesterday at the Madrigal Gallery beside ATC. When we arrived, they are still prepping the area and there's another group doing their food tasting too. Wendy assisted me and showed me around.

Presidential Table Set-up

Couple's Backdrop

Buffet Set-up

Table Set-up

Wendy said the couple availed the Standard Package. So the above photos are all included in their basic styling. She said they only have one color for the table cloth (for the round ones) which is cream but they have vast collection of colors for the table runners. Plus they don't limit the number of persons for the VIP table. Some caterers kase usually have maximum allowable number.

J's concern is that the tiffany chairs (of course!) looks worn out na. If you are not maselan, ok naman yung chairs nila. It's just that J really wanted tiffany chairs so I think yun talaga yung pinansin nya. My cousin who accompanied us said she thinks the set-up looks plain and basic. Well, basic/standard package naman kase 'to. Wendy said I can show them my peg and they can try to replicate it. And if premium package naman yung iaavail, there are pricier flowers to choose from din.

Now for the food tasting part, we were ushered to a table outside the venue. When we arrived, they asked kung ilan daw kami. There were 3 iced teas, 3 waters & 3 salad on the table but when the plated food was presented by the head chef, it was only for 2 persons. I thought they made a mistake but 2 lang talaga yung sinerve although the other group na nagfofood tasting din (4 pax) have plates each. Nahiya lang ako sa cousin ko kase I invited her for her opinion. But partly, it's my fault na din 'coz I didn't confirm kung ilan kami. She did not asked din naman kase kaya I thought they're not strict sa number of pax. We ended up sharing a plate.

Salad/Appetizer

Reminds me of Wendy's salad because of the jelly. Taste wise, OK naman. Typical garden salad with lettuce, corn, cheese, cucumber and thousand island dressing.

Clockwise starting from Pasta: Fettuccine Carbonara, Roast Beef, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Fish Fillet with Sweet n' Sour Sauce, Buttered Veggies 

Mixed reviews kami for the pasta. We all love carbonara so excited kaming tatlo to taste this. J and my cousin think its bland. For me naman, sakto lang sya. Not dry, not runny din naman. Pasta is not overcooked. Yun lang, sabi nila matabang daw.

Next is the Roast Beef. Malambot yung karne and malasa naman. OK din yung serving size nya. Pasado sya samin tatlo.

For the Chicken Cordon Bleu, favorite din namin ang Cordon Bleu but this one's different. The usual Cordon Bleu that we know and make is chicken with ham and cheese inside. But their version has ham and peppers that changed the flavors (in an interesting twist). I loved peppers so OK sakin that I can taste the peppers in every bite. OK din sya for J but my picky cousin (haha!) said so-so lang sya.

We would prefer our fish fillet to be served with tartar or ranch sauce so hindi namin masyado naappreciate yung dish. Although the chef said they have other sauces to choose from naman. Sauce aside, hindi malansa yung fillet and hindi oily although hindi nadin sya crunchy maybe because nababad na sya sa sauce.

Buttered Veggies. Medyo hindi sya masayang tingnan and hindi din crunchy yung veggies. Plus, meron syang kalabasa which is unusual. I did not finish it but J did. He said so-so lang yung dish. If we ever get Quido's, I would get a different veggie dish.

I did not eat the rice (diet lang,haha!) but it looks masarap naman. Hindi mukha yung mura bigas lang.

Mango Jelly

Standard package offer 1 dessert only. Good thing, 3 Mango Jelly naman yung binigay samin. We often make Mango Sago (almost same with Mango Jelly but with Sago) at home and it wouldn't last long so we're excited to try this. Unfortunately, its not that cold when they served it. But taste wise, ok naman sya. Not too matamis, not matabang naman. Meron nga lang mga mango na maasim pa (not their fault naman). Serving wise, medyo maliit yung shot glass nila. I forgot to ask if my guests can go back for more desserts.

Quido's is still on our list but we are not booking them yet. We'll schedule food tasting with other caterers muna before we decide.

Quido's Catering
Ms. Gina Napolis 0917-5747202
http://www.quidosgrill.com/index.html

Setting the date

We know for sure that we want a December wedding. There's just something in it that really spell "romantic". Not that we are a mushy couple but deep inside we are a romantic couple.

Photo courtesy of http://www.allabouthappylife.com

Aside from that, I love the Yuletide season. The smell, the sounds, the festive mood, the food! Something about Christmas makes everyone happy. :) Planning for a December wedding is such a breeze to me. I just know that every aspect of my wedding would spell C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S.

Photo courtesy of  http://www.iwalk4love.com

My mom and aunts are based in Paris and they only get to be home either August or December. August is J's birth month BUT it is also a ghost month (Haha!) so I don't want an August wedding. So December it is.

Now for the date, our anniversary is Sept. 24 so we arrived at December 24. :) That is not yet final but we are almost sure that we want a December 24 wedding. Lots of things to consider pa such as my mom and aunt's arrival, guests who can come for a Christmas eve wedding, supplier's price for a December wedding (not to mention a Christmas eve!) and other logistics. But God-willing, plans will push through for a December 24 wedding.